Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Chocolate Cafe Cake


Why is it that chocolate products are so UNphotogenic? Or is it just my photographic skills? No - don't answer that one.

Much as I adore chocolate in its confectionary form (milk chocolate preferably) I'm not a big fan of chocolate cakes and would never order one at a cafe or restaurant because they are usually dry, spongey things lacking in flavour and texture. If I volunteer to bake for people I'm often asked for a chocolate cake and this is the recipe I use. It's dark and dense but not too rich and has a really good chocolate flavour. Best of all it is great with just a dusting of icing sugar and the method is pretty much melt and mix. If you are looking for a quick and easy chocolate cake this is it baby!

Anna's Chocolate Cafe Cake
Original source unknown but likely from a supermarket magazine

Ingredients
2 ¼ cups flour
¾ cup cocoa
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ cups white sugar
1 ½ cups (375ml) warm milk
3 tbsps vinegar
150 grams (a little over 5oz) butter
1 tsp vanilla essence
Icing sugar

Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C
Line base of a deep 23 cm round tin with baking paper (I actually use a bundt tin because it looks prettier as an un-iced cake)
Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and sugar into a bowl
Combine milk and vinegar then stir in melted butter and vanilla essence
Pour into dry ingredients and mix thoroughly
Turn mixture into tin
Bake for 45-55 mins or until the cake tests done
Leave in tin for 15 mins then turn onto a rack to cool
Dust with icing sugar

Note
Do not have your milk too warm or else the vinegar will coagulate with the milk and you will end up with a big lump of casein. Ask me how I know!

7 comments:

Lis said...

Oh yeah baby! I'm ALWAYS on the lookout for a quick chocolate cake recipe.. this sounds absolutely divine!

I wonder though, could I substitute buttermilk for the milk & vinegar?

Love you!
xoxo

Cheryl said...

I've had a craving for a chocolate bundt cake recently. This one looks just perfect.

barbie2be said...

yum!!!! if K gets the job over here, you can make this for me sometime!

Elle said...

Great looking cake...and I'm sure bakers everywhere appreciate your experimentation so we don't have to have that lump. Yummy!

Brilynn said...

Your cake's not unphotogenic... it's dark and mysterious! And certainly delicious.

Deborah said...

I do love chocolate cakes, and this one sounds and looks delightful!!

Anonymous said...

Hey that receipe looks familiar :o) and the cake looks fab !!! Hmmm maybe it's time I made it again .....

Anna xx